Third victim identified in gruesome East Cleveland murders

EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio (Reuters) - A third woman whose body was found wrapped in a garbage bag in East Cleveland, Ohio, was identified on Wednesday as Shirellda Terry of Cleveland, the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner said on Wednesday.

Two other bodies were previously identified as Shetisha Sheeley, 28, and Angela Deskins, 38, both of Cleveland.

Terry, 18, was identified by dental records and DNA, according to the medical examiner, Tom Gilson.

Terry was the first body found wrapped in plastic bags in a garage of an apartment building on Friday after residents complained of a pungent odor. The two other bodies were found on Saturday.

Michael Madison, 35, of East Cleveland, is accused of the murders. He was arraigned on Friday on three counts of kidnapping and three counts of aggravated murder and is being held on $6 million bond. East Cleveland is a mostly low-income city of about 27,000 people outside Cleveland.

The medical examiner's office said it may take several days to determine the cause of death because of severe decomposition.

The bodies of the women were believed to have been exposed to 90-degree heat for 6 to 10 days.

During a police interview, Madison mentioned the name of a Cleveland serial killer, Anthony Sowell, according to East Cleveland mayor Gary Norton. Sowell was convicted of murdering 11 women and dumping their bodies in garbage bags in and around his home in 2009.